It struck me the other day, as wandered aimlessly, idly, in cyberspace, how often I ran across a "hmm" launching an observation or comment. For a "non-word", or at least one void of vowels, it's a very powerful, (and flexible), expression. It can mean pretty much anything you want it to, but most commonly interpreted as some contemplative thought process on the part of the hmmer. You can deepen or lengthen your contemplation by adding the appropriate number of m's. "Hmmmm", I've given this more serious and prolonged thought. Any more than four or five m's probably indicate an epiphany. Of course you can drop the H and change the meaning completely. "Mmmm" that was good. Some stimulation of any or all of the five senses just occurred.
This morning I read Dub's letter to the editors of Newsweek. "Hmmm" I thought. "Passion - I smell passion, (symbolism solely for the reader - you can't really smell passion unless it's the kind that comes in a bottle). "Mmmm - smells good". The fire in the belly. The call to arms. I responded to his letter on facebook with a single word, "passion". I left off the "hmmm". By that time I was no longer contemplating. Dub replied with a link pointing to the lyrics of a song entitled "Passion".
Many years ago, in another life, Dub asked me to write him a song. This was long before I had ever written anything. I should say, it was more a directive than a request. "Rick - write me a song.", was the way I recall the telling. So, many years later, I did. Without boring anyone with the entire lyric, the first verse/bridge pretty much captures the sentiment, and was written:
If the measure of a man is to leave the world a better place
have you done all that you can to make it so?
Have you opened up your hand to your brother in a different space
to make your peace with him before you go?
Time's what you make it
but it won't last too long
Be carefull how take it
Will they miss you when you're gone?
I thought about how remarkably similar the lyrics are to the lyrics of "Passion" - not in rhyme or metre, but sentiment. I resolved to re-record the song. I now have a project. Thanks Dub! Have you ever considered a career path as a professional muse? Hmmm.
Rick
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I think "Hmmmm" serves the same purpose as exhaling. It temporarily empties the mind (like an exhale empties the lungs), making space for a thought or idea to enter.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
If you would have asked that just slightly differently, by asking, "do you KNOW you could be a professional muse?", then I could have answered, "I'm not sure. H(u)mmm a few bars, and I'll see if I remember it."
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, I am (hum)bled by your generosity Rick and feel all a tingle by your kind words.
This is a great excuse to change the tone of my next post and dispense with the anger I harbored toward Newsweek and Newt Dingleberry.
By the way, we tend to store that anger in our liver, according to traditional chinese medicine. During waking hours, the "higher soul" is thought to reside in the eyes, according to an ancient Taoist text and then in the night, it lodges in the liver.
Using the Sanskrit word "Om" and also by extension its variations such as Hmmm and Mmmm, we align ourselves through vibration with the entire universe and create stillness within ourselves. This is a very useful tool to release harmful emotions such as anger, fear, worry, sadness and grief. Thereby allowing the higher soul to more firmly stabilize so that the "guest" will learn to serve and not try to assert itself as the true self.
Wow, put that in your pipe and smoke it!
hmmm... Perhaps more powerful than even I first suspected. Thanks Reya & Dub.
ReplyDeleteRick